Interview with Makeup Geek

Finally, after all the drama the wait is over! I got an exclusive interview with Marlena aka the Makeup Geek. You may have seen her excellent videos on You Tube but I got the rundown on the lady who turns geek into chic.

1.) What got you interested in the world of make-up techniques?
MG: I’ve loved makeup my whole life- even used to practice on my barbie head doll when I was little   Since I’m a “girly girl”, the idea of wearing makeup has always appealed to me, plus I love the artistic side of it.  I love experimenting with different colors and “painting” my creations on my face. The great thing is if you do not like your art, just wash your face and start over!

2.) When did you decide to focus on the website?

MG:When I started taping tutorials on youtube, the audience grew pretty quickly, but I felt I needed to offer them more than just videos.  So, I started the website in hopes to provide more information through articles, reviews of products, and even have an interactive community through the forum.

3.) You mentioned that you have been the “fat” girl throughout your life. How do you feel about how plus-size women in the makeup industry?

MG:I TRULY feel that women of all sizes, ages, and colors are beautiful!  As a bigger girl, I know that my focus tends to be on my face as I feel that is my best feature, so I love playing it up with different makeup looks.
It does not matter what size you are when it comes to being a makeup artist- it is all in how creative you are and how much hard work you are willing to invest in your career.

3A.) Tell me about some of the discriminations that you have faced being a bigger person in the industry?

MG:I get told fairly often that I need to lose weight or that my face is too chubby to be on camera. But I believe that it is a sign of success when you have opposition from others- what you are able to handle just makes you stronger.  It is not easy by any means, but I have to rely on my own confidence in my beauty and skills- not on what others may say about me.

4.) Many people use make-up as an escape to cover their flaws. What makes your techniques positive for women?

MG: My techniques are all about bringing out your best features.  We all have something that we focus on most- eyes, lips, cheekbones, etc.  So, why not apply makeup to enhance the natural features you already have?

For me, makeup is not just about looking pretty, but is something creative and fun that I enjoy and that makes me happy.  It is no different than sitting down to paint a picture or write a song- art is art.  It’s that creative outlet that is so positive and beneficial for our overall well being.

5.) Within the last couple of years men have also become a part of the make-up revolution. Do you think it is necessary to have product lines for men? Have you worked on men before?

MG: I do believe that it’s necessary to have product lines for men as they are getting more interested in bringing out their facial features as well.  Men may not want to wear a full face of makeup, but may want to hide a blemish or cover those dark circles from lack of the sleep the night before.

I have worked on men- not nearly as often as women, but is still part of the job.  For men’s makeup, it is about looking as natural as possible while enhancing certain features such as the eyes or lips.  Using the least amount of product as possible is key!

6.) Now there are some people who would think that it is crazy to spend lots of money on make-up and accessories. What is the difference between professional make-up and over the counter makeups?

MG: In some cases, professional makeup and over the counter makeup doesn’t differ too much in quality.  You can find some great products over the counter that won’t break your wallet.  On the other hand, professional makeup tends to be more vivid and long lasting as it is meant to hold up to hours of wear. I would invest my money in good concealers, foundations, and face powders as those tend to wear off the quickest.  Buy less expensive brands for eyeshadows, blushes, or lipsticks as those work well in just about any brand.

7.) What other hobbies are you involved in?

MG: I love to scrapbook!  It is another artistic outlet that relieves stress and is fun to do with my mom or a friend.  I also love to play the piano and flute since I miss teaching music!  Traveling is always fun as long as I can have some down time at home

8.) Do you also do private consultations as well?

MG: Most of the time, but it depends on when I am actually home in between seminars and other travel.

9.) If you could give anyone a full-blown makeover who would it be and why?

MG: Rihanna!  She has such beautiful eyes, but always wears black eyeliner all around the eye.  I would love to soften her look with less eyeliner and a beautiful gold shimmery shadow on the lid- something natural but still eye catching. Rihanna, put that black liner down!

10.) Are there some events or happenings on the site that people should be aware about?

MG: Every week there is a weekly challenge where I encourage people to try a new makeup technique or get inspired by a certain theme- I think it’s important to think outside the box and try things you wouldn’t normally do

There are also seminars that take place around the US- just keep checking the main page of the site for locations near you!

11.) How can people get in touch with you?

MG: The contact form on the site is the easiest- just go to www.makeupgeek.com and click on the contact button on the bottom of the main page.

Videos

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Tabitha's Tutorial--Filling Out An Application

Part of my job involves me going through applications to bring in applicants for interviews and possible to hire them. Now, we get anywhere from five to fifty applications a week in our store, which would make most people think that we would have a ton of interviews going on. WRONG. You would be surprised at how many people do not know how to fill out an application. And it’s not just the teenagers, it’s the older adults too. One of the worst applications I’ve seen in the past month was from a woman who’s older than my mom (not really sure why she wants to work in a store where her entire management staff would be younger than her, but that’s besides the point). So I’ve decided to put up some tips for you readers so that when you’re filling out job applications, you know what we’re looking for. And who knows, these tips could apply to applications at other stores too.

• Follow all directions.– This should be common sense, but apparently it’s not. If it says only use blue or black ink, then use blue or black ink. Not green, not purple, not pencil, blue or black. If the application says don’t use your friends or family members as references, then DON’T use them as references. And no, you can’t use a friend of the family either, that still falls in that category.
• Answer all questions.– Leaving parts of your application blank is a big no-no. If you leave certain questions blank, we automatically file it into the no pile. That means you need to enter a salary requirement (even if it’s just minimum wage), your availability, your references, and all of the information for your previous employers. If you don’t know all of that information, TAKE THE APPLICATION HOME AND BRING IT BACK (and make sure it stays neat and uncrumpled–folds are okay, balled up paper is not). Exceptions to this rule–If you do not have a current employer, do not put a previous employer into that slot, and do not write N/A really big over the space either. Also, if you don’t know your SSN, it’s okay to leave that blank as well. The last exception is when you see something that says something like “California Applicants only”. Unless you live in that state, DON’T ANSWER IT. It makes you look like an idiot.
• Open to close is not an availability.– Believe it or not, we get kind of annoyed when people put this on their application, or the ever-popular “negotiable”. Last time I checked, “open”, “close”, and “negotiable” are not located on any clock that I’ve seen, and therefore shouldn’t be listed under your hours available. If you have an open availability, then list the time the store opens to the time the store closes. Don’t know it? Ask. It shows that you’re a serious applicant rather than just someone pushing applications to every store in the mall.
• List references!– Even though some places don’t care if you have listed references, we at Spencer’s do. And we don’t want you to give us your best friend and your aunt. We want good references, like coworkers, previous supervisors, school teachers, etc. And if you choose to list an “other” reference, please tell us what “other” is. Are they your pastor or you coworker? It would be nice for us to know, considering that we actually do get phone references for all of our employees that are hired into our store.
• Write neatly.– If I can’t read your handwriting, I’m not going to want to call you in for an interview, period. If you don’t have neat handwriting, find someone who does to help you fill out the application. It makes it easier on us, and gives you a better chance of being chosen for an interview.
• Just because it’s on your resume doesn’t mean you don’t have to fill it out on the application.– We get a lot of applicants who like to attach resumes to their application as a way to seem more desirable for an interview. But instead of filling out the application, they will write “on resume” in the blanks. Bad, bad choice. One, it shows that you didn’t care enough to fill out the application like the other applicants. And two, what happens if your resume becomes detached from your application? Then we have no way of know the information that you so nicely put onto your resume. It makes things much easier if you just put it on the application.

I’ll add more tips if I think of any. Feel free to include your application tips in the comments of this blog, I’d love to hear them. And with the way the economy’s been, I’m sure other people would love to hear it too.

Hannes von Döhren

Wieso Typografie? Wodurch erwachte Ihr Interesse an der Schriftkunst?
Irgendwie habe ich mich schon immer für Schriften und Buchstaben interessiert. Ich habe wie viele Typedesigner der jüngeren Generation auch mit Graffiti angefangen und da setzt man sich schon sehr viel mit Buchstaben auseinander. Allerdings zählt dort mehr wie man die Buchstaben verzerren kann oder neue Formen erfinden kann. Außerdem sind bei gesprühten Bildern oft auch Farben, 3D Blocks und Lichteffekte wichtig. Das hat sich irgendwann immer mehr reduziert, bis es jetzt auf der absoluten Basic-Stufe angekommen ist nur S/W und jeder Buchstabe muss mit jedem kombinierbar sein. Das macht es nicht unbedingt einfacher, nur systematischer und anders, für mich spannender.

Wer sind Ihre typografischen Vorbilder?
Es gibt viele Typedesigner die wirklich sehr gute Schriften machen. Für mich gibt es zwei Lager: Einmal die alten Klassiker: Claude Garamond, William Caslon, Giambattista Bodoni, Frederic Goudy etc. aber auch Adrian Frutiger, diese sind für mich die Meister, die die Wege geebnet haben und grundsätzliche Sichtweisen fesgelegt haben. Und dann gibt es die »digitale« neue Generation der Typedesigner, unter denen es auch für mich herausragende Personen gibt: Zuzana Licko, Xavier Dupré, Underware, Kris Sowersby um nur einige zu nennen (die mir gerade so einfallen). Es gibt aber noch weitaus mehr, die ich für ihre sehr guten Schriften schätze.

Welches Buch zum Thema Typografie haben Sie zuletzt gelesen? Welches würden Sie weiterempfehlen?
Da ich aus dem Grafik Bereich komme gucke ich mir sehr gerne Typespecimens anderer Foundries an. Ich finde es spannend zu sehen wie sie mit Schriften umgehen. Typografie ist ein ganz eigenes/anderes Feld im Gegensatz zu Typedesign. Aber der Umgang mit einer Schrift ist, denke ich, mindestens genauso wichtig (wenn nicht sogar wichtiger) als die Schrift selbst. Als letztes habe ich mir die Kataloge von Stormtype bestellt. Das letzte größere Buch ist schon eine Weile her: Anatomie der Buchstaben, Karen Cheng.

Wenn Sie eine Schrift sein könnten, welche Schrift wären Sie gerne?
—

Greifen Sie zu Beginn des Schriftschöpfens zur Feder oder zur Maus?
Ich scribble sehr viel und so skizziere ich meine Ideen immer zuerst auf Papier. Die Buchstaben selbst zeichne ich meistens direkt am Rechner.

Mit welchen technischen Hilfsmitteln arbeiten Sie? Welchen Scanner, welchen Drucker, welchen Computer, welches Betriebssystem, welche Programme nutzen Sie?
Ich arbeite am Mac. Ansonsten bin ich kein Technik-Freak. Hauptsache es funktioniert.

Sind Sie Messie oder Purist? Horten sich auf Ihrer Festplatte 2.456.891 Fonts oder sind Garamond, Bodoni, Frutiger und Futura mehr als genug?
Allein aus Interesse sammle ich alle Schriften die ich bekommen kann. Oft öffne ich sie auch und gucke wie sind z.b. die Vektorpunkte gesetzt, ist sie sauber gebaut und wie ist sie programmiert.

Wenn Ihr Font-Ordner nur Platz für zehn Schriften hätte, welche wären das?
Wahrscheinlich aus jeder Kategorie/Klassifikation eine, damit ich alle »Aufträge«, die ich bekommen würde, erledigen kann.

In Typo-Kreisen werden Comic Sans und Arial gebannt. Welche Schrift darf auf keinen Fall auf Ihren Rechner?
Ich finde jede Schrift hat ihre Berechtigung. Da Schriften nicht nur nach Schönheit sondern nach Funktionalität eingesetzt werden sollten. Genau wie Design.

Welcher Buchstabe ist Ihr Liebling? Mit welchem Buchstaben fangen Sie an, wenn Sie eine Schrift entwerfen?
a und g sind die Buchstaben mit dem meisten Charakter und für mich auch die, an denen man sehr gute von nicht ganz so guten Typedesignern unterscheiden kann.

Wie kamen Sie auf den Namen für Ihre erste Schrift?
Meine erste kommerzielle Schriftfamile hieß Quench. Witzigerweise erinnert ich mich das gerade an den Fragebogen von Linotype den ich damals für die Quench ausfüllen musste. Da stand genau diese Frage.
Grundsätzlich ist Namenssuche für mich immer etwas Intuitives. Oft inspiriert von Ideen hinter den Schriften oder Gefühlen zu den Schriften.

Schmieden Sie Pläne für eine nächste Schrift?
Ich habe einige halbfertige Schriften auf meinem Rechner, die ich je nach Lust und Laune fertig mache, aber ich mache jeden Tag mindestens einen Buchstaben. Es wird also in nächster Zeit noch das eine oder andere Type-Release von mir kommen.

Haben Sie schon einmal einen Buchstaben in Stein gemeißelt?
Nein.

Vielen Dank für das Interview!
Bitte

Zur Person:
Hannes von Döhren wurde 1979 in Berlin geboren. Der studierte Grafik-Designer arbeitete zunächst in einer Hamburger Werbeagentur. Seit 2008 ist er freiberuflich als Grafik- und Type-Designer in Berlin tätig.

Schriften:
Quench
Shelton
Snoogle (zusammen mit Reimo Böse)
Opal
Embryo
HVD Comic Serif
HVD Cowboyslang
HVD Brevia
Klint
ITC Chino (zusammen mit Livius Dietzel)
The Subway Types

Interview avec Pascal, bassiste de Kickback

Interview réalisée en août 2009 avec Pascal qui joue de la basse dans Kickback. J’avais fait cette interview avec mon ami Lucien pour le compte du site skartnak.com.

Depuis “les 150 passions meurtrières”, le monde est vraiment devenu un endroit pourri, encore plus pourri qu’il ne l’était avant, est-ce cette grosse dose de merde qui vous a donné l’impulsion pour sortir ce nouvel album ? Quelles ont été vos motivations de sortir cet album ceci près de 10 ans après votre dernier opus en date ?
Le monde n’a pas changé, l’homme peut être…. et encore ? Tout va juste plus vite. Comme a son habitude l’homme ne réfléchira qu’une fois les conneries faites. C’est ça la vie ! Roulette russe pour tout le monde !… Sinon la motivation pour cet album, comme pour tout le reste, reste c’est la passion. Pour cet album Damien, Stephen et moi on a voulu un album qui fasse mal ! Déçus de voir nos scènes respectives se parodier chaque jours un peu plus nous avons voulu revenir a la base même de cette musique qui est le rock sale ! Sans concession mais en collant quand même aux racines hardcore de Kickback. L’élaboration de l’album fut un calvaire bénéfique !il faut dire qu’après 10 ans de line-up différents, de conflits et de productions toutes avortées nous avons eu le temps de réfléchir et de comprendre ce qu’il nous fallait pour sublimer notre style.
Avec la collaboration d’Hervé a la batterie et Francis Caste derrière la console nous avons pu enfin concrétiser le tout. C’est pour moi un album issus de la souffrance et c’est pur cela qui a tout son intérêt.

 Il y a plein de bons groupes français qui commencent à devenir sérieusement connu en Europe, du genre Providence, Primal Age, Out for The Count, Onesta etc., qu’est-ce que vous en pensez ? Et d’un point de vue plus général, qu’est- ce que vous pensez de la scène hardcore en France en ce moment comparé à vos débuts ?
Pour moi je suis content quand même que la musique que j’écoutais tout jeune existe encore même si je suis rarement satisfait par ce que j’entends ! Tout a bien trop été salopé …Il y a quand même quelques exceptions mais le problème ce n’est pas le hardcore… c’est le cliché qui vient avec ! De toute façon je n’ai aucune scène a défendre ni aucun étendard a brandir !!! La scène hardcore d’avant ou de maintenant c’est la même choses, les gens viennent et se casse vite…je ne voit pas tant de gens motivé pour leur « scène »..Moi je ne vois que le vide. De toutes façons Kickback, c’est seul contre tous! Nous n’avons jamais capitulé et même si le cœur n’y était plus parfois, nous sommes encore là pour le pire et pour le meilleur bien sur!

On peut voir sur votre MySpace une image avec la fourre de votre nouvel album, juste au dessous est écrit “Que le Hardcore Français repose en paix” quelle est la signification de cette phrase ?
Que le hardcore français repose en paix c’est en hommage a Booba, tout le monde aura reconnu, car on a pas fait meilleur slogan depuis. C’est aussi pour mettre une dernière peltée de terre sur le cadavre d’une parodie musicale qu’est le Hardcore Français depuis 20 ans

 Parles moi aussi de la fourre de cet album “No Surrender” on y voit votre pays en rouge avec la lettre K dessus ? Comment doit-on interpréter cela ?
Fourre ? C’est quoi ce mot ? Tu veux parler de la pochette ? C’est juste un hommage, encore un, au visuel d’un film de Gaspar Noé .ça ne représente rien d’autre que le pays d’où on vient.. C’est très graphique et c’est l’impact sobre que l’on voulait pour un des visuels de l’album. Il n’y a rien de politique derrière tout ça.

Comment s’est faite la rencontre avec GSR ? Vos potes d’Arkangel (aussi sur GSR) y sont pour quelque chose et vous ont aidés a rentré en contact avec eux ?
Stephen et moi avions déjà collaboré avec Theo longtemps avant et nous avions trouvé en lui une personne de confiance qui en plus nous appréciais… tant de rareté ça crée des liens qui ont fini par se concrétiser ! Aussi simple que ça.

On peut lire, toujours sur votre MySpace, ainsi que dans vos lyrics que ce nouvel album est pour vous, pas pour nous. “This is for us, not for you”. Pourquoi alors avoir signé sur un label comme GSR qui distribuera votre album plus largement en Europe et dans le monde. N’y a-t-il pas une certaine contradiction là derrière ?
Le slogan « this is for us this is not for you » c’est juste pour marquer la différence qu’il y aura toujours entre nous et les moralistes a la cons. Ces gens qui veulent toujours bien différencier le bien du mal qui leur fait peur. Nous on se place directement dans le camp du mal comme ça on est tranquille.

Avez-vous été influencé par une tendance ou alors par un ou plusieurs groupes pour la composition de votre nouveau disque ? Sinon quelles ont été vos principales sources d’influences lors de la composition de “No Surrender” ?
L’influence va de Hellhammer à Mobb Deep…. Ça reste du Kickback si tu écoutes bien …mais le tout sous meta-amphetamine ! Avec bien sur une touche plus sombre et brutale que ramène Damien a la guitare. Du vrai hardcore avec du vrai métal le tout avec un chant haineux.

Etant un groupe français qui a des paroles assez revendicatrices, toutes vos paroles et ce depuis vos débuts sont en Anglais. Pourquoi avoir choisi l’anglais plutôt que la langue de Molière ?
Le Français dans un style hurlé ça marche pas ou alors ça fait ridicule ! Pourquoi ?? C’est comme ça ! Demande au chanteur…

En Europe, le violent dancing s’est vraiment propagé rapidement ces dernières années, et du coup, ça créé une sorte de scission dans le hardcore entre ceux qui repoussent plus loin les limites de la violence, et ceux qui boycottent cela. Quelle est votre position ou opinion sur le sujet ?
Le violent dancing et tout le reste je m’en fous ….j’aime le bordel au concert un point c’est tout ! Que les jeunes fassent ce qu’ils veulent je ne suis pas un paire la morale !

Y’a des nouveaux groupes qui vous ont surpris ces dernières années ? Que ce soit dans le métal, le hardcore, ou n’importe ou ailleurs ?
L’avant dernier album de The Warlocks…un joyau…

D’ailleurs à ce sujet, quelles sont les groupes ou genre de musique qui tournent sur ta platine ces temps ?
Beethoven, Bauhaus, Battle, Leviathan

Est-ce que les membres de Kickback, paient leurs factures ? Vous faites quoi dans la vie à côté de KB ? Quel est le job ou gagne pain de chaque membre du groupe en dehors de la musique ?
Chômeur, branleur, voleur, magouilleur, pute… et larbin pur les plus malchanceux.

 Je sais que vous aviez des contacts avec Gaspar Noé pour la réalisation d’un clip, mais c’était il y a longtemps, est-ce que vous êtes actuellement sur un nouveau projet de clip vidéo étant donné que votre nouvel album vient de sortir ? Et si oui, peux-tu me donner des détails ? Avec ou sans Gaspard ?
Stephen a projet de réaliser un clip/film avec l’aide de Gaspar Noé … quand ? On ne sait pas encore…

Qu’est ce que ça fait d’être un des plus vieux groupes de hardcore d’Europe ?
Nous ne sommes sûrement pas le plus vieux ça c’est sur. Mais la question a se poser c’est : Combien sont tombés au champ du déshonneur ?

Tu veux rajouter quelque chose à cette interview ?
Never give up. Kickback, beaucoup d’ennemis beaucoup d’honneur

Pour écouter Kickback : http://www.myspace.com/kickback
Label de Kickback : http://www.gsrmusic.com/

Interview With Singer-Songwriter LeVar Thomas

stupidDOPE had the opportunity to interview R&B Singer-Songwriter LeVar Thomas. Without further ado here is the interview:

What is your music background? I started singing in my church choir around the age of 7 and have been singing ever since. Around the age of 13, I sang a solo at my school and was told by many that I had a great voice.  At that point, I started to nurture my talent and joined a singing group with a few of my cousins.  We sang together for years but it was hard to get a deal and didn’t seem that labels were looking in SC.  After singing with my cousins, I knew for sure I wanted a career in music.  In 2001, I moved to Atlanta, Georgia to take a chance at the music scene there.  I was very naïve to how the music industry worked but I defintely learned a lot in the 7 years I lived in ATL.  I inked a worldwide ringtone deal with Jamster and signed up with my first manager.  This buzz lead to many other opportunities.   In 2008, I moved to New York to try my hand with music there.  I learned even more and was able to interact with several major labels while I was there.  I also garnered the attention of some industry shot callers.  Now I’m settled in Florida as a student, I’m writing and putting together new music and no telling what will happen next!

What are your songs about? Most of my songs revolve around relationships.  I write about finding love and love loss, some songs about meeting “the one” and messing up a good thing.

Who are your musical influences? I have a wide range of musical influences.  Most of them are from the old school.  Luther Vandross is one of them.  You could tell that Luther cared about his musical content and he never failed to amaze me with his vocal acrobatics.  Stevie Wonder is another influence.  He writes songs about love, social ills and songs you can party to.  No matter what kind of song he would do, he made it unforgettable.

How do you describe your music to people? I would tell people that my music is a mix of old school and new school.  That is the feedback I have received most about my music.  When I sit down to write, I just let it flow.  I don’t really start out with anything more than a topic.  I guess I have absorbed some elements from the soul and pop music I grew up and grew to love.  As I said before, my songs are mostly based on love and relationships and I try to keep my music more on the clean side.  I feel all artists and media corporations should hold themselves to some social responsibility.  Kids don’t go to bed at 9pm anymore.
What should fans look forward too for the rest of 2009 and beyond? The sky is the limit as I always say!  Definitely look forward to more music from me.  Maybe in 2010 I’ll finally compile an album.  I’ve returned to school to focus on getting a degree in Business/Marketing so there is no telling what the future holds for me.

Any last comments? Thanks to everyone at stupidDope for a interview and the fans who show support everyday.  It really keeps me motivated.You can hear more of my music HERE.

artist2artist: joe DOE

There is a rebirth occurring over at Sykophunk Productions. For various reasons, artist D-O-E is officially changing his stage name to joe DOE. In the artist2artist tradition just recently started here at DIO, these two personas will have a conversation. Prepare to be confused, hopefully entertained, and maybe a little informed.

D-O-E: What’s up, me? How am I doing? Good, you hope.

Joe DOE: Please don’t do that.

D-O-E: My bad. So, the point of this is for you to answer questions that other interviews you may get probably won’t ask. But let’s start with an obvious one: why the name change?

Joe DOE: It’s all explained in the first song of my new mixtape project Who the Hell is joe DOE?! which will be available for free download on sykophunk.com starting November 13, 2009.

D-O-E: Nice shameless plug.

Joe DOE: I learned from the best.

D-O-E: What can people expect from this mixtape?

Joe DOE: It’s short, only 9 songs, but it makes up for it by being fucking epic! I put as much effort into these songs as I normally would in an album twice as long. I’m trying to show that as joe DOE I’m putting more emphasis on writing songs, melody and variation, not just rhymes over beats. The hip hop element is still very important, but I’m gonna be adding a lot more singing and live instruments.

D-O-E: When will your debut post-rebirth album be released?

Joe DOE: Probably not until spring 2010, which is another reason why the mixtape had to be so epic – I gotta milk it for a while on the promotion tip. But it also gives me time to spread the word about the new name. I got a cool comic book style promo video for the mixtape that I posted online. I might do a little series of joe DOE video comics ‘cuz it looks dope! Something to get out there while the album’s being worked on.

D-O-E: Do you think you will gain more recognition as joe DOE?

Joe DOE: I fucking hope so! At least you can Google the goddamn name! I mean, it’ll take a while to make the full transition, not to mention all the legal shit I gotta do. But honestly, I think this is the beginning of earning the respect that I truly deserve as being the most potentially successful anti-mainstream artist ever.

D-O-E: And what happens to me?

Joe DOE: D-O-E and Doeboy are still my nicknames. My friends who have been calling me that for years aren’t gonna change just because I made a marketing decision. And the D-O-E albums already online at iTunes and all that will probably be available forever. I am thinking of re-releasing Be Middle Class or Die Trying with some bonus tracks under joe DOE. But from here on out, I’ll be releasing all of my music as joe DOE.

D-O-E: All of your music? What about Dostah Shilailee?

Joe DOE: Shit, I don’t know. Where has he been lately anyway?

D-O-E: I haven’t seen him in a while.

Joe DOE: If you do, let him know I said what up.

D-O-E: No doubt. So… what’s with the mask?

Joe DOE: I’m wearing a mask in my promo pics to symbolize the idea of the unknown – you know, joe DOE, John Doe. I ain’t a slave to no identity. Plus I think it looks badass, and I’m having fun changing it up every photo session. I haven’t decided yet if I’m gonna stay rocking the mask as joe DOE or not. I think I’m gonna leave that up to the fans. Then again, if people start hating on the mask, I’ll probably wear it out of spite just to piss people off.

D-O-E: What an asshole…

Joe DOE: Bullshitski, you fat crippled butt-fuck!

D-O-E: Well, good luck replacing me as the primary bread-winner of Sykophunk Productions.

Joe DOE: That’s a low bar to set for myself, buddy. Don’t worry about it – 2010 is mine! To everyone reading this: thanks for giving me your time, get that mixtape on Friday the 13th & bump the shit out of it, stay connected and keep your third eye open for the new flavor! See, I haven’t changed, just the name has. Ghost in a dream, out.